Building a Better Man: Week 4

Now we’re getting somewhere! Without a doubt, week 3, in my opinion, is when most competitors quit. For those who stick it out and put every ounce of energy into each rep and listen to exactly what their trainers are saying, the results are more noticeable than a giraffe driving a Mini Cooper. Week 4 has been nothing short of a revelation for me. I’m starting to truly understand the time, the effort, and the cost of getting on stage. For instance, over a span of 16 weeks, your food bill alone is around 2000 dollars. Your supplements will easily cost you around 150 dollars a month, and unless you have a sponsor or a trainer you know well, expect to drop another 500 to 1000 dollars for a nutritionist, a posing instructor, and short term trainer.

Still want to compete? You may not and I understand if it’s not for you, but my goal is to reach a level of greatness in myself that I once thought to be impossible, but it’s only been 4 weeks, so I have so much more to learn and that’s what I look forward to the most. It takes a lot of energy to talk a big game, where that energy could be better spent elsewhere.

One may find when taking on a task as great as this, that time may become an issue, but that’s merely an illusion. You can get up at 5am and do cardio, you can abstain from temptation where it’s all a big distraction, you can do one more rep, you can prep all your food in a timely manner, you can ignore all the negative people that may slow your training down, you can do all this and still have a large role in the community, excel at your job, or be there for your family. In closing, week 4 was the most important so far as it has taught me some very valuable lessons in commitment. After attending an additional event this past weekend, I’m completely confident when my first 3 shows in the fall are finally upon me…I will be ready for every single one.